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SAN FRANCISCO – It never hurts to hang out with a championship team. Something might rub off.

Star forward Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder, runner-ups in the NBA Finals last season, visited the San Francisco Giants and met some of their players before Wednesday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

The Thunder were off before playing the Golden State Warriors on Thursday in Oakland.

Durant said he's an avid baseball fan who played as a youngster – he was a 6-9 first baseman as a high school junior – before dedicating himself full time to basketball.

Asked if he had trouble hitting the curveball, Durant said, "I didn't hit any ball. I didn't make contact with any ball.''

Durant, who played college hoops at Texas, signed autographs for fans by the Giants dugout and chatted with first baseman Brandon Belt, a Texas native who played as a kid with one of Durant's Longhorns teammates, swingman Damion James.

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In just his seventh year in the league, Kevin Durant has evolved into one of the NBA's best scorers and has the Oklahoma City Thunder set up as title contenders for years to come.
Daniel Shirey, USA TODAY Sports

As a high school senior at Montrose Christian in Rockville, Md., Durant was named a First Team All-American by USA TODAY Sports and Parade Magazine. He was also the co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game.
H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

Durant won just about every major player of the year award, including the Adolph Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award and Wooden Award. He was first freshman in NCAA history to win any other those awards.
John Bazemore, AP

Durant has also established himself as a mainstay for USA Basketball. He was named tournament MVP after leading the U.S. to the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships.
Franck Fife, AFP/Getty Images

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On his first visit to AT&T Park, Durant was particularly enthused about watching National League MVP Buster Posey, whose intensity he admires. Durant hails from the Washington, D.C. area and calls himself "a big Nationals fan,'' but also appreciates the Giants' brand of ball.

"I've seen these guys win the World Series,'' Durant said. "That road they took, you can kind of take some things from them and put them into our game, how they fought from being down, how they came together as a team. They've been playing at a championship level for a while.''